My son almost set our house on fire two weeks ago. I light candles all the time. I love the glow and the smell. Drama Kid has never shown an interest in fire, not even as an infant, so having lit candles all over the house has never been a concern for me.

He was in the powder room supposedly washing his feet. He hates shoes and always plays outside barefoot. I was in the kitchen making dinner and heard him make a strange noise. I ask "what are you doing?" and of course I get no response.

My Spidey Sense went on alert and when I walked into the bathroom, I saw the sword from one of his Ninja Turtles on the counter. Melted. I figure he'd been holding it over the flame and nothing more. I yelled and he got a spanking (he didn't cry, I must be losing my touch) and I sent him to his room.

Something made me go back into the bathroom and that's when I saw the trashcan start to flame. I call him back upstairs and ask again, "what were you doing?" He was lighting the toilet paper on fire! One of the pieces caught and he dropped it in the trash when it singed his fingertip.

I stood over the flaming trashcan yelling at him about how dangerous and stupid that was and how could have burned not just our house but our two neighbors' as well. In hindsight I guess I should have put the flames out first but hopefully they added to the drama and he's learned his lesson.

I almost went to get my camera so I could post a picture but changed my mind. My husband says all boys get into trouble playing with fire. How about your kids? Any near misses?

Easy Weekend Recipe #2 - Vegetarian

I sampled this at Trader Joe's and was surprised that I liked it. To me, it's not chili without meat. The recipe is so easy it's a good one for older kids to do by themselves.

Vegetarian Tamale Pie

2 cans Vegetarian chili (8 oz I think)
1/2 bag of frozen fire roasted corn
1 chub of polenta (found in the aisles not the dairy case)
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix the chili and corn in an 8 x 8 baking dish. Slice polenta and cover the chili. Top with the cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese browns slightly.

I wasn't going to tell Drama Dad it was vegetarian until I'd served it, but I did anyway. He really liked the flavor though he's not a huge fan of polenta. He suggested crushing tortilla chips on top instead which I might try. I also won't slice the polenta but mash it to form more of a crust. The slices were a little thick. Let me know if you try it.


Have a great weekend!